Finding Femininity

Khaat had decided to reclaim her life. She wasn't going to live like that anymore. Hiding, running, being afraid of her own shadow, waking up drenched in sweat from her own fear in the night, or sleeping against Remus's tombstone in the dark in the snow. She had begun working again, and going out by herself again. And it actually did help that Brian was recuperating from buggering up his knee and was not able to bodyguard her like he wanted to.

Khaat had worked a long shift at St. Mungos--over 48 hours. It was now about 9 am. Her father had arrived to see that she was still at work, and now in a pair of jeans and one of Brian's football jersey and her sneakers. She was clean but certainly not looking very executive-like. And she was mainlining such a quantity of French Roast now, that the chef had gone and bought her a 48 ounce stainless steel thermos for her coffee and she was carrying that instead of the stoneware mug she was accustomed to.

"Khaat," Robert said, as she cleaned up a young student's hand from a massive bleeding wound. She was covered in his blood. "I'll take this. Give it here." She stepped aside, always deferring to someone who had superior skill. He took the young man's hand in his own and began tending it. "You're out of clothes. Go home or go buy more clothes. Can't have you running about in Brian's Arizona State football jersey. Where the hell did he get an Arizona State jersey anyway?"

"Arizona?" she asked, looking at him. She took another huge drink of french roast from the thermos.

"Give me that!" he frowned at her, snatching the thermos. "Hannah will give it back to you after you shower and change and get some food and some sleep."

"I'll go into Herrods, then."

"Muggle shopping?" he frowned.

"I like shopping. I'll be back in a couple of hours." She kissed his cheek. "I love you, Daddy."

"I love you too. Be careful."

"I am always careful," she smiled. And with that she went to her office long enough to clean up and make the blood on her clothes disappear. She put on one of Brian's leather bomber jackets that she had resized and got out a couple of muggle credit cards from the secure drawer in her desk. She apparated into an alley a couple of blocks behind Herrods.

She had chosen a really seedy place to apparate into. A muggle drunkard woke up and called her a Genie and tried to make 3 wishes on her. Frowning, she obliviated him. He collapsed back into a slumped stupor on the pavement. She stepped over him and started to walk to the exit of the alley. Suddenly a dark figure apparated in front of her. She stopped short, drawing her wand.

"Oh, now, now," a drunken voice drawled. "Is that any way to greet an old friend?" The figure pulled back his hood to reveal his face. It was Luther Burke.

"What do you want, Burke?" she asked fiercely.

"You should know by now. I want only what I've always wanted. Nothing more, nothing less." He drew his wand on her and backed her up against the brick wall.

Jess had returned from jeramys retreat and was happy to be home she smiled and held the twins returning to things she love and understood now she wanted to go shopping again , something made ehr think of Harrods , there clothes were alwys perfect . with the twins again with the baby sitter she kissed htem and held tight to jack as they aperated to harrods , well a few blocks from it , she took his hand in her owna dn they walked up the street . out teh corner of ehr eyes she saw a cloaked man walk out of an alley and she felt something draw her to it.


"Jack somethings wrong " he said and walked over at first she saw the drunk and thougnt it was that but then she saw some thing a bare leg sticking out from behind some garbage bins. Moving in Jack staid at the entrance while jess took out her wand , she moved the bin and saw Khaat laid battered brused and disheveled in with the rubbish jess became angry at the thought .

"Jack, its Khaat get here quick " she said and rolled her to her back pulling her shirt to cover her up as Jack lifted her into his arms " I hate to say this but we'll have to take her to Brians "she said holding on to Jack as he aperated to Brians place and the bed room placing khaat down Jess started cleaning her up "can't have Brian see her in this state " she said as jack left waiting at the door like a bouncer "jack don't let him in yet , please " she saw jack nodd and kissed him returning to Khaat and cleaning her up . Soon she was clean and in diferent clothes tucked up in the bed .

Angus heard the sounds of people apparating in, and he left Cassidy with the babies while he went upstairs, wand drawn to check things out. He was thunderstruck to find Jess and Jack there and Khaat home, and obviously badly beaten.

"I'll get Brian. He's in the barn," Angus said. He apparated out, and in only a couple of seconds, they both apparated back to the bedroom. Brian took long swift strides to her. He laid his hand on her forehead, and he felt, instantly, her injuries.

"Call Robert. Now!" he ordered. He was furious. Angus went to the floo and summoned Robert.

Robert apparated in, carrying his bag, in moments. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"Khaat's been beaten up. She's hurt. We need your help," Angus said. Robert raced up the steps. He walked in, surprised to see Jess and Jack there. He looked at their faces and at Brian's. It said it all.

"Get out," he told them all quietly.

"I am not leaving," Brian said, fiercely devoted. Robert looked at him. Brian had grown up into one of the strongest men he had the pleasure of knowing.

"Brian," he said. "You're an auror. This is a crime against our Chief Warlock. I want you to bring me your bottle of brandy and a glass. Then you go and find out what the hell happened. Jack and Jess, tell Brian everything you know. And Brian, you are NOT running off on that knee by yourself. That's an order. You understand me? For right now, your place is here."

"Alright," Brian said. "But if she wakes up...."

"I'll call you," Robert said. Brian took his crutches and made his way to the door. He looked at Jack and Jess, basically to ask them to come with him, without saying a word.

Jess looked up at a young dark haird man who ran in to the room, she staid sat on the bed even when Brian ran in the door not untill Robert apeared at the door did she stand up, saying nothing but a nod when he asked her to leave . Jess accioed a bottle and glass setting them down at the bedside table her eyes looking at Robert she knew he would see the anger inside her but not for Khaat but the person who did this to her.

Walking she cought jacks arm and guidied him out and down stairs to the living room she didn't sit but stood pacing her arms folded across her chest and jack watching her she stopped and looked at Brian waiting for his words . Waiting for him to ask her but she didn't see it as a priority at that moment in time Khaat her freind was or so she hoped she still was to her Khaat was still her freind and what she had felt was against her deeper nature but she was in control now thanks to Jeffery her thoughts were her own she could turn her seers ability on and off and right now it was off but she was pissed big time.

Brian knew what his healer's abilities had found. He was working hard to reel in his rage. Nobody had the right to touch his lady. Nobody. Not for any reason. He was furious. He paced, tossing one crutch to the floor in anger. It hit the floor with a bang.

"Alright," he said, his voice in a low tone. He was really giving it all he had to not explode. "You tell me everything. Don't leave one thing out. Everything you heard, everything you saw, everything."

"Brian," Angus began.

"No!" he shouted. "No! I know what happened to her, and when I find who, I'm going to kill them. I'm going to rip them apart with my bare hands. Nobody touches her! You got that? Nobody!..."

"I get it," Angus said. "And I'm with you."

"No. You're not. This one is mine. I"m going to kill whoever did this." He looked at Jack and Jess. "Report. Now."

Jess movedd to face him her eyes looking into his she could feel his anger even with her abilitys turned off she didn't know if the anger she felt was hers of his. she took a deep breath it was hers as she felt it calm down inside of her . Her head snaped to look at him standing she faced him down " yes sir " she said " we'd decided to go shoping at harrods when something caught my attenshion ..." she paused and closed her eyes " it was dark cloaked man leaving the alley " she opened her eyes again " I walked over and saw a drunk but saw a leg behind a bin when i moved it I found Khaat , alive, though badly beaten" she said still looking in his eyes she would say no more to him " and its good to see you too " she said turning to walk away to stand with jack .

"Sorry, Jess," he said, struggling hard to not be as hard and difficult as he felt like being. "I am glad to have you back. And thank you. She'd have died if you both hadn't found her. Did you see a face? Anything identifying. Height? Skin color? Hair? Jewelry? Scents? Anything at all? A cloaked figure gives me nothing."

He did know that, if Khaat remembered, she could tell him. If she didn't have a head injury, and if she wouldn't become protective of him because of his anger and decide not to tell him in order to protect Brian from going of by himself to get revenge.

Robert came downstairs a few moments later. He had hidden his emotions well. He was purely business. "She''s sedated," he reported. "I didn't find any broken bones. There are multiple cuts and bruises and all sorts of soft tissue damage. She's going to be in a lot of pain for awhile. She has a minor concussion, but I'm not concerned about that. And before you ask, no, she didn't tell me who did this to her. I do NOT want her left alone for any reason. Jack, your senses are better than any of ours. Go back and examine the scene. Look for any and all evidence. Khaat's wand is missing. We can't let that get out. See if its still wherever you found her. Cassidy or Jess, whichever of you are able, make certain she isn't left alone. Ever. Not yet. Jess, how are you? Are you up to staying with her at all? Jeffrey's report was very good, but I don't want to put you right back in the thick of things. You have to tell me what you are and are not up to...."

"Robert," Brian interrupted impatiently. "Stop being a hardass for one moment. How the hell is she? Not medically. I knew all that. How is she? My Khaat?"

Robert softened. "I don't know. Its too early to tell. She was in shock. Brian, she needs to sleep right now. And when she wakes up, your face better be the first thing she sees." Brian sighed heavily. He kicked the wall hard with his foot and then grabbed his seering knee. He felt responsible. Useless.

Jess loked at him and nodded " not realy too much rubbish and that drunk , shesh he could not get any more dirtyer" she said and looked at Brian" if i could I would have brian" she said nosooner she hand finished she saw Robert walk down the stairs and stood looking at him knowing what he was saying was what they wanted to hear , when he asked for her or cassidy to go sit with Khaat jes stepped forward motioning to casidy to stay where she was .

"I got it Cassidy" she said and walked up to Robert and smiled "Im fine thanks to Jeffery, hes tought me a lot of new things, and things I had forgot " she placed her hand on his shoulder knowing he would be able to tell from her touch she was fine "jeffery tought me well , don't worry about me you have others " she said and moved up stairs to the bed room again. taking a chair she sat next to the bed and just watched .

"I'll go," Angus said. He got the location from Jess and apparated back into the alley. He examined the alley very carefully. He found Khaat's wand, broken in pieces, under a trash dumpster. He examined it closely. There was blood on the pieces, and it was obvious she had tried to defend herself. He was glad, for her sake, that it was her wand and not Remus's. That would have only added to her suffering. He found a lock of her hair, ripped from her head. Blood on the wall, on the ground, pieces of her clothing. Broken boxes and bottles. She had fought hard--with everything she knew. Every bit of magical training she had, every bit of fighting skill she had ever been taught. He was deeply saddened. He loved her as part of his own family. Well, if he was more accurate, he and she loved each other because they were part of her family as well as his.

He was glad Brian had not been here to see this. He took wizarding photos of what he saw. These were for Robert's eyes only. He did not want to add to Brian's pain either. He put the pieces of Khaat's wand in his pocket. Wands could be replaced. But would anything replace how victimized Khaat had become? How much independence she had lost? Brian was not likely to let her go anywhere by herself ever again. And truth be told, none of her friends would support that either, especially now.

He was about to leave when he saw another fragment of clothing laying on the ground, partly hidden under a crushed cardboard box. He moved the box and was startled at what he found. It was part of a red paisley silk neckscarf. A man's ascot tie. And it registered with him instantly. He'd seen this thing before. And if he was right, he knew exactly who it belonged to. He sniffed it carefully. The aftershave was right. Damn. Brian and Robert were about to go ballistic. He put the fragment in his pocket and made one last check. He found nothing more. Khaat had done her best to point out her assailant for whoever came, and she had done everything but write his name in blood on the wall. He was proud of her. But would she emotionally survive?

He apparated back into the living room where everyone waited. He felt all eyes on him. "For your eyes only, Robert," Angus said. He looked at Brian. "I'm sorry, my friend. Not yet. Not this time."

jack looked at Robert then watched as Angus left only to return several minets later he could tell by how he acted he found something , he could smell tht he had gave alow growl looking at Angus as he tried not to give anything away the aftershave evadent even threw the bag he'd placed it in and he sneeses knowing Robert would understand .

Jess sat beside Khaat in the bed room she looked at her she brushed some hair from her face and sighedher hed turned to the door for amoment then back to Khaat knowing they had found something what she didn't know nor would she pry f or she ahd a good idea as to who had done it and if she got her hands on him he would not live but instead have to get some one to stop her.